The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Miscanthus, also known as Maiden Grass, which is grown as an ornamental plant for use in the garden and landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Miscanthus sinensis and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Little Miss’. The genus Miscanthus is included in the plant family Poaceae.
‘Little Miss’ was discovered in 2004 as an open-pollinated seedling which was growing in the inventor's garden in Woellstein, Germany. The inventor has a particular interest in the genus Miscanthus and had assembled in his garden unnamed seedlings and the following named varieties (all unpatented) of Miscanthus sinensis: ‘Adagio’, ‘Ferner Osten’, ‘Ghana’, ‘Kleine Fontane’, ‘Kleine Silberspinne’, and ‘Roter Pfeil’.
The inventor observed that the new variety ‘Little Miss’ was exceptionally low-growing in comparison with other Miscanthus varieties known to the inventor. The plant habit of ‘Little Miss’ remains dome-shaped and compact throughout the growing season. The inventor also observed that ‘Little Miss’ exhibits strikingly colorful foliage from late spring and continuing into fall. Taking these characteristics together, the inventor determined that ‘Little Miss’ would be a useful and valuable addition to the available varieties of Miscanthus with particular applications for small gardens and in planted containers.
Asexual propagation of ‘Little Miss’ was first accomplished by the inventor in 2010 at the inventor's garden in Woellstein, Germany. The method of propagation used was division of the entire in-ground plant. Since that time under careful observation the inventor has determined that the characteristics of ‘Little Miss’ are fixed, uniform, and true to type in all subsequent generations of asexual propagation.